300 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. III. 



this time, ceased. The Antelope chief then gathered up the crooks, 

 he and his men repaired to the Antelope klva where the chief priest 

 replaced them at his altar. The 'fathers' (sponsors) of the novices, 

 i.e., the men who had brought them into the kiva for initiation, then 

 painted the bodies of the novices the same as the bodies of the Snake 

 priests were painted, and after some one had swept up the remains of 

 the sand mosaic, the Snakes went over to the Antelope kiva for the 

 mutual evening ceremony." 



Thus far, my informant. That^this ceremony takes place when 

 new members are initiated, and that only then the full altar is built, I 

 had been told by others before. This same custom also of erecting 

 the full altar at initiations only prevails in other villages. 



After this digression, we now recall the fact that we left the Snake 

 priests in the act of getting ready for the evening ceremony, which 

 will be described under a special paragraph. We now wish to state 

 briefly also 



3.— PROCEEDINGS IN THE SNAKE KIVA IN 1898. 



The proceedings in the morning, which vary very little if any in 

 the different years, have already .been noted under "General Remarks" 

 of this day's notes. I found twelve men in the kiva when I came in, 

 after breakfast, engaged in talking and smoking. This day, as has 

 already been stated, is not a regular hunting day; but very few reptiles 

 having thus far been found, the men soon got ready for the hunt. 

 Nakwakwosis were made, bodies were daubed, and at a quarter of 

 eleven o'clock they left, leaving old Nuvakwahu and Macatiwa in 

 charge of the kiva. The statement that up to this time very few 

 snakes had been found was borne out by the fact that as yet no snake 

 jars had been brought into the kiva, the snakes thus far obtained 

 having been kept in the small buckskin snake bags and in a larger 

 (American) bag. 



Everything remained unchanged in the kiva and nothing of impor- 

 tance transpired while the men were' away. They returned at about 

 five o'clock in the afternoon, some having snakes in their bags, others 

 bringing rabbits. They were greeted with "kwakwail" (thanks!) by 

 Macdtiwa and Nuvdkwahu. One of the men handed a rabbit to the 

 latter, who then became very profuse in his expressions of joy and 

 gratitude. When the hunters had laid down their bags, whips, etc., 

 they arranged themselves around the fireplace and engaged in a solemn 

 smoke, which was followed by a prayer from each smoker. Hereupon 

 they engaged in a free conversation relating especially to the day's 



